The aquatic exercise has been used in particular with unilaterally or bilaterally diminished mobility or range of motion of the upper or lower extremities as well as by amputees and other musculoskeletal and neurologically challenged individuals. A person, for example is substantially lighter when under water and thus able to perform exercises under water that could not be otherwise performed.
Various attempts have been made to provide aquatic exercise and rehabilitation devices. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,532 and my application Serial No. 236,559 filed May 2, 1994 illustrate and describe a particularly advantageous form of aquatic exercise and rehabilitation device. As described therein the device includes an exercise cycle which is mounted to a lift assembly. The cycle would in its non-use position be disposed outside of the tank or vessel so that the user could be seated on the cycle and the user's legs could be engaged with the pedals of the cycle wheel unit. The cycle can then be lifted and disposed over and then lowered within the vessel so that the cycle and most of the user's body is below water. The user is then able to perform an aquatic exercise by pedaling the cycle.
Under some conditions it is not possible or it is quite difficult for the user to impart the sufficient force necessary to effect the pedaling of the wheel unit or the manipulation of the connected handlebars. It would therefore be desirable if an independent drive force could be used for rotating the wheel unit so that the user would still have the benefit of the user's legs being moved in a rotational manner from the engagement of the user's feet with the cycle pedals while the wheel unit and pedals rotate.